Cine Las Americas International Film Festival (25)

Festival start: 07 June 2023      Festival end: 11 June 2023

The festival screens narrative and documentary feature and short films, music videos, as well as experimental and animation films, in competitive and non-competitive sections. This event is complemented with repertoire and special screenings. The 22nd Cine Las Americas International Film Festival (CLAIFF22) took place May 1st to 5th, 2019 in Austin, Texas. In addition to welcoming over 3,000 audience members for films and special events, CLAIFF22 screened 114 titles; these selections represented 25 countries’ participation in the production or co-production of the projects, including Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Jordan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Peru, Portugal, Qatar, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic, UK, Uruguay, USA, and Venezuela.

Over the past 22 years, Cine Las Americas has presented more than 2,600 films in Austin and at various screenings across the state of Texas, becoming one of the most prestigious of Latino film organizations in the country. Cine Las Americas remains a community-oriented organization, offering diverse opportunities for culture, education, professional development and entertainment. Each year the film festival brings a wide range of international films and filmmakers to Austin, creates networking opportunities for industry professionals, and provides a rich cultural experience for attendees.

The festival grants the following awards, designated to the director(s) of the film:

• Jury Awards in the categories: First or Second Dramatic Feature ($1000 USD); Documentary Feature ($1000 USD); Dramatic Short ($500 USD); and Documentary Short ($500 USD).

• Audience Awards in the categories: Best First or Second Dramatic Feature ($1000 USD), Best Documentary Feature ($1000 USD), Best Hecho en Tejas Film ($500 USD), and Best Music Video ($500 USD).

• Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) Award for best Made in Texas film ($500 USD).

• Audience Award for Best Emergencia Youth Film.

25th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival

June 7 – 11, 2023 | Austin, Texas, USA


CALL FOR ENTRIES

Cine Las Americas invites filmmakers, producers, and distributors to participate in the Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, now in its twenty-fourth consecutive year. The festival showcases contemporary films and videos from Latin America (North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean) and the Iberian Peninsula. Films and videos made by or about Latinxs in the U.S. or the rest of the world, as well as films and videos by or about Indigenous groups of the Americas are also invited to participate.

To be submitted for consideration, projects must have been completed after January 1, 2021. All entries are also eligible to participate in the festival’s non-competitive sections. For all works where the spoken language is not English, English subtitles and/or narration are required.


SUBMISSION DEADLINES

Submissions should be at the Cine Las Americas office by the following dates and times:

• Deadline: February 20, 2023 (Non-refundable entry fee US$35)
• Late Deadline: March 15, 2023 (Late entry fee US$75)
• Youth Films Deadline: March 15, 2023 (Youth Films pay no entry fee)


ENTRY FEES

• Each film submitted by the regular deadline is required to pay a non-refundable fee of US$35.
• Films submitted after the regular deadline and before the late deadline are required to pay a non-refundable late fee of US$75.
• Youth Film entries pay no fee.
• Students or NALIP members: US$25 regular deadline and US$50 late deadline. (Verification required.)


INQUIRIES

Email: entries@cinelasamericas.org


*** *** ENTRY GUIDELINES *** ***


ELIGIBILITY

General guidelines by which the festival determines eligibility:
• Contemporary films and music videos from Latin America (North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean) and the Iberian Peninsula are eligible to participate.
• Contemporary films and music videos made by Latinxs (from any part of the world) AND/OR about Latinxs (in any part of the world) are eligible to participate.
• Contemporary films and music videos made by Indigenous groups of the Americas AND/OR about Indigenous groups of the Americas are eligible to participate.

Please note that a film or video does not have to be both made by AND about Latinxs or Indigenous groups of the Americas; either of these elements will qualify a film for submission and review. Please direct any questions related to the eligibility of your film or video to the Selection Committee at entries@cinelasamericas.org.

Projects must have been completed after January 1, 2021.


FILM SELECTION

Feature length and short films of all genres will be considered including dramatic, documentary, experimental, animation, and music videos. A pre-selection committee will screen official entries prior to recommendation to the final programming committee. Preference is given to regional or national premieres, as well as to films that have not screened theatrically in Austin or on national television in the USA prior to the festival.

Disclosure of all screenings is a prerequisite of application. Films that have screened in Austin, films that have been broadcast with coverage in Austin, and films that are available for viewing openly online are almost always ineligible for festival selection. Failure to disclose a film’s screening history, even if this history changes after submission, may affect the festival’s final programming decision; this may include canceling the participation of a film after it has been selected for the festival, to protect the integrity of the program.

The film festival programming department reserves the right to determine the eligibility and final programming decision of any submission.


YOUTH FILMS

As a celebration of young filmmakers, Cine Las Americas presents “Emergencia,” a special competitive section open to youth filmmakers ages 19 and under. Original film, video and music video productions are accepted. Students and interns who participate in Cine Las Americas bilingual media education programs produce this section of the festival.


LANGUAGES

For all works where the spoken language is not English, English subtitles and/or narration are required.


SUBMISSION DEADLINES

In order to be considered for the festival, entries must be submitted by the following dates and times:

• Deadline: February 20, 2023 (Non-refundable entry fee US$35)
• Late Deadline: March 15, 2023 (Late entry fee US$75)
• Youth Films Deadline: March 15, 2023 (Youth Films pay no entry fee)


FEES

Each film submitted is required to pay a non-refundable fee of US$35. Films submitted after the regular deadline and before the late deadline are required to pay a non-refundable late fee of US$75.

Youth Film entries pay no fee.

Discount* for students or NALIP members: US$25 regular deadline and US$50 late deadline.

* A digital copy of student ID, or verification of NALIP membership, must accompany the submission.

Other than Youth Films, films submitted without an entry fee will not be considered to participate in the festival. Students 19 and under who want their films reviewed for participation in festival categories outside of the Youth Film competition are eligible to pay the discounted student fee of US$25 regular deadline and US$50 late deadline.


PAYMENT

Entry fees should be paid online during the submission process.


SECURE PREVIEW SCREENERS

A screener must accompany each submission through this platform.

If a film is selected to participate in the festival, an exhibition quality copy of the film will be required immediately upon acceptance to be used for promotional purposes.


WORKS IN PROGRESS

Rough cuts and works-in-progress that are 90% complete may be submitted but must arrive by the regular submission deadline of February 20, 2023 to be considered. If a work-in-progress is selected for possible festival participation, a final, subtitled copy must be submitted for review by March 15, 2023. If a work-in-progress is selected for competition and a final, subtitled copy is not turned in by the above date, the corresponding submission will be disqualified.


ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION

All participants will be notified via email whether or not their work has been accepted. A preliminary list of selected films will be announced at www.cinelasamericas.org by May 3rd 2023.


SHIPPING AND CUSTOMS

The participant will pay shipping costs and insurance of all materials sent to the festival. Please notify the festival by e-mail to traffic@cinelasamericas.org with the airway bill number. The festival will pay for shipping the exhibition copy back to its owner unless a different destination is agreed in advance with the producer or contact person.

For international shipping, four copies of a commercial invoice or customs declaration should be included with the package. The invoice or declaration should value the contents of the shipment for no more than US$20, and clearly state the contents of the package. The following statement should be included in the documentation, as well as on the exterior of the package: “For cultural purposes only, no commercial value. Sin valor comercial. Para fines culturales.”

Cine Las Americas does not cover any customs fees. See “PACKAGING” section below for further information.


EXHIBITION FORMATS

Films will be screened from DCP and Blu-ray (NTSC Region 1 or Region Free), or a digital H.264 file. The final exhibition format for selected films will be decided between the programming team and the participating filmmakers, depending on the technical capacity of the different festival venues. DVD is not an acceptable exhibition format.


EXHIBITION COPIES

All exhibition copies, files and/or prints should be in possession of Cine Las Americas no later than May 22nd, 2023, unless otherwise specified well in advance by the filmmaker or contact person. Exhibition copies must be available to the festival for the total duration of the event, unless otherwise agreed with the producer or contact person in advance. The festival will take place from June 7 to 11, 2023.

Participating filmmakers are responsible for guaranteeing that an exhibition copy in a format approved by Cine Las Americas, will be available under the timeline defined by the festival. Participating filmmakers are also responsible for covering the costs associated with the production and shipping of an exhibition copy as needed.

For all films for which the exhibition format is Blu-ray, the Blu-ray should be Region 1 or Region Free, as well as burned and tested to play from beginning to end on a consumer grade Blu-ray player.

For all films for which the exhibition format is DCP, the DCP should be unencrypted with no KDM.

If a filmmaker submits a digital file for their exhibition copy, the file must be provided on a drive, disk or USB in a digital H.264 file (.mov or .mp4) format.

If the Blu-ray, DCP, drive, disk, or USB is damaged in transit or otherwise does not play properly, the filmmakers will be required to send another copy as soon as notified.

Exhibition copies shipped to us will be returned to the print source contact, unless otherwise notified in advance by the filmmaker or contact person with complete alternate shipping details. Exhibition copies authored by Cine Las Americas become part of the festival archive. The festival does not accept original Master Tapes or DVDs as Exhibition Copies.


PACKAGING

Please package all exhibition copies carefully as it’s important that they arrive on time and undamaged. We highly recommend that filmmakers do not ship Blu-rays using a rigid case or jewel case. Instead, please use a paper sleeve for each disc, with cardboard on either side that is the same size as the shipping envelope, and label the package FRAGILE DO NOT BEND.

In the event that a filmmaker wants to include a Blu-ray cover/plastic case, we recommend packaging the shipment in a rigid cardboard box, not an envelope.

If exhibition copies arrive damaged, filmmakers are responsible for the cost of reshipping required materials.


LIABILITY

Once exhibition copies are received at the festival’s address, Cine Las Americas assumes responsibility for the copies’ safety. In case of loss or damage, Cine Las Americas is only responsible for reimbursement of the cost of making a new copy in the format received. The festival is not responsible for exhibition copies damaged or lost in transit.


PROGRAM SCHEDULING

The festival reserves the right to determine in which program section the selected films will screen, and to schedule selected films at the date, time and location of its choice.


GUEST PARTICIPATION

The festival may hold virtual or in-person Question & Answer sessions with filmmakers and/or cast members.


REGISTRATION

Registration for Filmmakers and other Industry Members will be available at www.cinelasamericas.org closer to the festival dates. Inquiries, please contact register@cinelasamericas.org.


HOSPITALITY

Everyone is encouraged to attend the festival, where our staff and volunteers will work to make every participant’s stay in Austin a rewarding experience. However, Cine Las Americas can only provide travel and hotel arrangements for a very limited number of participants. Inquiries, please contact register@cinelasamericas.org.


CATALOG AND PRESS

Cine Las Americas will provide preview copies of selected films to the local press for reviews. The program schedule and select professional reviews are normally published in the dailies and weeklies immediately preceding the festival. A printed festival catalog is published and archived on our website for future reference. Print source information is published in the festival catalog and on the festival website.


PROGRAM SECTIONS
• First and Second Dramatic [Narrative] Features in Competition
• Documentary Features in Competition
• Dramatic Shorts in Competition
• Documentary Shorts in Competition
• Hecho en Tejas Films in Competition
• Music Videos (eligible for an Audience Award)
• New Releases (Non-competitive section)
• Panorama: Non-competitive section for Features and Shorts
• Special Screenings: Classics, Retrospectives, and Co-Sponsored Programs
• Emergencia Youth Films (eligible for an Audience Award)


RUNNING TIME CONVENTIONS

Total running time of 50 minutes or more is considered a Feature Film.

Total running time of 49 minutes or less is considered a Short Film.


PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

Promotional materials for films, such as postcards, posters, printed press kits, etc., should be sent to Cine Las Americas only upon acceptance of the submitted film. Festival staff reserves the right to discard all promotional materials sent to our offices before a film is officially accepted to the festival. The festival reserves the right to distribute promotional materials for selected films in accordance with the overall festival promotional strategy.


AGREEMENT

1) I have read, understood, and complied with all eligibility and entry requirements.

2) I am legally authorized to submit this film or video to the Cine Las Americas International Film Festival.

3) If the film or video is selected to participate, I am legally authorized to and will provide a copy of the film or video for public screening during the dates of the festival in one of the eligible Exhibition Formats listed in the current Call for Entries guidelines.

4) I hold Cine Las Americas harmless from damage or loss of the exhibition copy while en route to or from the festival.

5) I have disclosed the release schedule of this film to the best of my knowledge, including theatrical, television, and on-line versions of the film; I understand that in the case that between the submission date of the film and its potential screening at Cine Las Americas, the film is scheduled for any kind of public exhibition in Austin and/or its vicinity, I must notify Cine Las Americas immediately.

6) To help ensure fairness and transparency, for any film to be considered for an CLAIFF award:
a) Films may not have received support - financial or production - from CLAIFF jury panel members.
Should a CLAIFF jury member be associated with any film entry they are judging - including but not limited to as a volunteer, fiscal support, donor, contractor, crew, consultant - jury members must inform the CLA Programming Leads and Executive Director prior to the film festival.
b) Films may not have received support - financial or production - from any CLAIFF board members, staff or volunteers associated with Cine Las Americas within the last 3 years.
c) The film's creator may not have worked with CLA, been a judge or volunteered for the festival within the last 3 years.
If accepted into CLAIFF and deemed ineligible for awards, films may still be screened during the festival, only in a non-competitive category.

7) Submissions selected for Cine Las Americas International Film Festival will be included in the Cine Las Americas Film Festival archives housed and maintained at the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection at The University of Texas at Austin - Benson Latin American Collection. Archives are for research and academic purposes only and not for public screenings. Archives serve a long term purpose of contributing to capturing the cultural record and timestamp for future generations to discover. If a filmmaker prefers their film not be included, please email Cine Las Americas at cine@cinelasamericas.org."